Electropolymerization mechanism in aqueous solution of the oxo-manganese complex biomimicking of the enzymatic center present on the photosystem II

The [Mn4 IVO5(terpy)4(H 2O)2]6+ complex, show great potential for electrode modification by electropolymerization using cyclic voltammetry. The electropolymerization mechanism was based on the electronic transfer between dx2-y2 orbitals of the center metallic and pπ orbital of the ligand, which show great complexity of the system due to orbitals overlap present in octahedral complex of the metal-μ-oxo. The voltammetric behavior both in and after electropolymerization process were also discussed, where the best condition of electropolymerization was observed for low scan rate and 50 potential cycles. A study in ITO/glass electrode for better characterization of polymer was also performed. ©The Electrochemical Society.

Micro-raman spectroscopic characterization of a CR-39 detector

Characterization by micro-Raman spectroscopy of polymeric materials used as nuclear track detectors reveals physico-chemical and morphological information on the material's molecular structure. In this work, the nuclear track detector poly(allyl diglycol carbonate), or Columbia Resin 39 (CR-39), was characterized according to the fluence of alpha particles produced by a 226Ra source and chemical etching time. Therefore, damage of the CR-39 chemical structure due to the alpha-particle interaction with the detector was analyzed at the molecular level. It was observed that the ionization and molecular excitation of the CR-39 after the irradiation process entail cleavage of chemical bonds and formation of latent track. In addition, after the chemical etching, there is also loss of polymer structure, leading to the decrease of the group density C-O-C (∼888 cm-1), CH=CH (∼960 cm -1), C-O (∼1110 cm-1), C-O-C (∼1240 cm -1), C-O (∼1290 cm-1), C-O (∼1741 cm -1), -CH2- (∼2910 cm-1), and the main band -CH2- (∼2950 cm-1). The analyses performed after irradiation and chemical etching led to a better understanding of the CR-39 molecular structure and better comprehension of the process of the formation of the track, which is related to chemical etching kinetics. Copyright © 2013 Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

Comparison of the nanoparticles performance in the photocatalytic degradation of a styrene-butadiene rubber nanocomposite

Much has been talking about the advantages of polymeric nanocomposites, but little is known about the influence of nanoparticles on the stability of these materials. In this sense, we studied the influence of both oxides of zirconium and titanium, known to have photocatalytic properties, as well as the influence of synthetic clay Laponite on the photodegradation of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). SBR nanocomposites were prepared by the colloidal route by mixing commercial polymer lattices and nanometric anatase TiO2, monoclinic ZrO2 or exfoliated Laponite clays colloidal suspensions. To better understand the degradation mechanisms that occur in these nanocomposites, the efficiency of different photocatalysts under ultraviolet radiation was monitored by FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopies and by differential scanning calorimetric. It was observed that TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles undoubtedly acted as catalysts during the photodegradation process with different efficiencies and rates. However, when compared to pure SBR samples, the polymer degradation mechanism was unaffected. Unlike studies with nanocomposites montmorillonite, exfoliated laponite clay effectively acts as a photostabilizer of polymer UV photodegradation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of chemical modifications on the electronic structure of poly(3-hexylthiophene)

The widespread use of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in the active layers of organic solar cells indicates that it possesses chemical stability and solubility suitable for such an application. However, it would be desirable to have a material that can maintain these properties but with a smaller bandgap, which would lead to more efficient energy harvesting of the solar spectrum. Fifteen P3HT derivatives were studied using the Density Functional Theory. The conclusion is that it is possible to obtain compounds with significantly smaller bandgaps and with solubility and stability similar to that of P3HT, mostly through the binding of oxygen atoms or conjugated organic groups to the thiophenic ring. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis, structure, and thermal stability of poly(methyl methacrylate)-co- poly(3-tri(methoxysilyil)propyl methacrylate)/ montmorillonite nanocomposites

The structure and the thermodegradation behavior of both poly(methyl methacrylate)-co-poly(3-tri(methoxysilyil)propyl methacrylate) polymer modified with silyl groups and of intercalated poly(methyl methacrylate)-co-poly(3- tri(methoxysilyil)propyl methacrylate)/Cloisite 15A™ nanocomposite have been in situ probed. The structural feature were comparatively studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C and 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. The intercalation of polymer in the interlayer galleries was evidenced by the increment of the basal distance from 31 to 45 Å. The variation of this interlayer distance as function of temperature was followed by in situ SAXS. Pristine polymer decomposition pathway depends on the atmosphere, presenting two steps under air and three under N2. The nanocomposites are more stable than polymer, and this thermal improvement is proportional to the clay loading. The experimental results indicate that clay nanoparticles play several different roles in polymer stabilization, among them, diffusion barrier, charring, and suppression of degradation steps by chemical reactions between polymer and clay. Charring is atmosphere dependent, occurring more pronounced under air. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Thermal stability of ionene polymers

Two different cationic polymers of the same chemical type and with very similar chemical structures were reacted with a natural bentonite over a wide range of polymer/clay ratios. This study involved the synthesis of cationic aliphatic ammonium polyionenes, specifically 3,6-ionene and 3,6-dodecylionene. Ionenes are ion-containing polymers that contain quaternary nitrogen atoms in the main macromolecular chain as opposed to a pendant chain. The CHN content, basal spacing, and elemental composition of each of the polymer-clay complexes were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and thermogravimetry. All the polycations reacted to form interlayer complexes with clay, which displaced more Na+ and little Ca2+. Sodium and calcium were both present as interlayer cations in the clay and its complexes. The TG/DTG curves show that both polymers underwent thermal degradation in more than one stage. Specifically, 3,6-ionene was found to undergo two stages of decomposition and 3,6-dodecylionene undergo three stages. The behavior of the TG/DTG curves and the activation energy values suggest that 3,6-dodecylionene (E = 174,85 kJ mol-1) complexes have greater thermal stability than 3,6-ionene (E = 115,52 kJ mol-1) complexes. The mechanism of degradation suggests a direct interaction with the dodecyl chain containing 12 carbons, which are present in 3,6-dodecylionene but not in 3,6-ionene. © 2012 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.

Estudo das propriedades térmicas e mecânicas de blendas de PVDF/PANI

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Foto e biodegradação de PEBD, PHB e suas blendas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Blendas de PVC/PCL foto/termo e biotratadas com fungos de solo (Phanerochaete chrysosporium e Aspergillus fumigatus)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Microbiologia Aplicada) - IBRC

Biodegradação de filmes de PHBV, PCL, PP e BLENDAS pela ação de microorganismos de solo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desenvolvimento de blendas de dextranos de pesos moleculares 70 e 148 KDA para a obtenção de hidrogéis contendo praziquantel

Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas - FCFAR

Stimuli-Responsive Biointerface Based on Polymer Brushes for Glucose Detection

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Density, Refractive Index, Apparent Specific Volume, and Electrical Conductivity of Aqueous Solutions of Poly(ethylene glycol) 1500 at Different Temperatures

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Holographic deconfinement transition in the presence of a magnetic field

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Structure of P3HT in the solid state

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)